Article holding means



R. A. CLARK ARTICLE HOLDING MEANS Nov. 7, 1950 Filed July 5, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. 1%66/212 C/an B?! Nov. 7, 1950 CLARK 2,528,860

ARTICLE HOLDING-MEANS Filed July 5. 1949 Y 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

M06611 4 C/qrk BY R- A. CLARK ARTICLE HOLDING MEANS Nov. 7, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 5, 1949 4 INVENT'OR. BY fioberfli 6/0/16 fiww/y Nov. 7, 1950 R. A. CLARK 2,528,360

ARTICLE HOLDING MEANS Filed July 5, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN V EN TOR.

Robert :4 (7611* Patented Nov. 7, 1950 .mesne assignments, to Wright Machinery- Company, Durham, N. 0., a corporationofNorth Carolina Application July 5, 1949, Serial No. 103,097

9 Claims.

This invention relates to article holding means andparticularly to means for holding round or substantially round articles in a pocket of a mechanism while permitting those articles to rotate freely in said pocket about an axis.

The present invention'constitutes an improvement in the mechanism described in co-pending application, Serial No. 90,81 filed on May 2, 1949, in the name of S. Rappaport and B. Proctor, Jr.

The mechanism 'describedin that co-pending application comprises a rotary member or turret having a plurality of pockets on its periphery, each of 'said pockets being definedby -aplurality of rollers. During rotation of the member on its support at least one of the rollers defining each of the pockets is positively driven to rotate a round or substantially round article held in said pocket in contact with the roller. The

mechanism described therein constitutes a spotting mechanism for orienting the round articles in-predetermined position with reference to-some physical characteristic thereof. Articles are receivedin the pockets from a suitable conveyor and are oriented while being transferred to a delivery station to be delivered to a subsequent machine. During the movement of the articles from the conveyor to the delivery station they are rotated, to orient the physical characteristic referred to, then rotation is stopped and upon reaching the delivery station the articles are transferred to the subsequent machine.

The present improvement comprises generally an arm carried by the rotatable member and having a roller at its freeend. The arm'is pivoted to the member adjacent a pocket and is movable to-bring the roller inwardly toward th'e pocket to engage an article 'therein-andhold the same in the pocket against the rollers during orientation thereof and movement toward the delivery station. Suitable cam means are provided to cause movement of the roller toward the pocket ata timewhen the'article-on a conveyor is closely adjacent the open side of the pocket and to move the rolleraway from the article at the delivery-station whereby tofacilitate'and make po'ssibletransfer ofthearticle to the subsequent machine.

It is therefore an object-of this invention to provide an article holding means for a mechanism *of the type suggested that'is simpleinrconstruction and yet positive and efficient in operation.

It is amitherv objectofthisinventionto provide means for holding an article in: .a mechanism while permitting the article to rotatefreely about an axis therethrough.

It is another'ob'ject of this invention to provide an improved article holding means adaptable to specific mechanisms without interferring with the operation of that mechanism.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide means for engaging and holding round or substantially round articles in a pocket of a mechanism while permitting said" articles to rotate therein'and movable automatically into and out of article holding position without interrupting the normal and continuous movement of the mechanism.

Another object of this invention is to provide article holding means ofthe type described operable equally well, without adjustment, on articles of different size.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an article holding meansand conveyor assembly so arranged that the holding means will engage and move an article into a pocket of a moving member while said article and said member are moving in substantially the same direction.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent as thedescription of a preferred embodiment proceeds in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the present invention adapted for use with a spotter mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a single pocket of the spotter mechanism with the improvement of the present invention shown with the parts in the relative position indicated at station A of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the parts in the position they assume at the station indicated at'B-of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken 'substantially along the line 44 of Fig. 3. Certain parts of the spottermechanism have been omitted'from this view to more clearly illustrate the instant invention; and

Fig; 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view, with parts omitted, illustrating'the driving.

means for the rollers comprising the pockets of the spotter mechanism.

Referring now to Fig l, the improvement of the present invention will be describedbriefly in connection with the spotter mechanism described in the copending application previously identified. A- central or main shaft I0 is fixedly and non-rotatably supported on asuitable rame ork 9. support (not shown) and rotatably supports a carrier member I B (Fig. 5) in the form of a circular table or the like. A plurality of radially slidable plates II are mounted on the carrier and are spring urged outwardly to a limiting position defined by suitable stop means. Each of the plates I I carries at its outermost corners or extremities friction rollers I2 and I3. These rollers define therebetween a pocket for the reception of an article, such as a bottle, to be oriented and fed to a processing machine. A main gear I4 is fixedly attached, concentrically, to the shaft I and meshes with planetary gears I5 carried by the rotatable member. Through suitable clutch and transmission mechanism the gears I5 cause rotation of the rollers I2 and I3 during rotation of the carrier about the shaft I0.

Referring now briefly to Fig. 5, the carrier previously referred to is indicated fragmentarily at I6, and rotatably carries a shaft II driven by' ably carried by the stub shafts 20 are arms 2! which are provided with rotatable idler gears 22 at their free ends. The idler gears 22 are in mesh with the gears IB and I9, respectively, and also in mesh with a driving gear 23 fixed to the shaft IT. A tension sprin 24 is attached, at its opposite ends, to the arms 2! and is effective to swing the said arms to maintain the gears 22 constantly in mesh with the gear 23 as the slides II move radially of the carrier I5. Suitable means (not shown), as described in detail in the copending application, prevent jamming of the gears 22 and 23 under the influence of the spring 24.

The slides II also have rotatably mounted thereon a shaft or spindle 25 (see Fig. 5) carrying a crank'arm 26 having a roller 21 positioned between the rollers I2 and I3. The articles for which this mechanism was designed comprise bottles 30 having projections 3| at some point on their outer peripheries. The arrangement of the rollers I2, I3 and 2! is such that as the articles 30 are rotated by the rollers I2 and I3 the roller 2! will be held closely adjacent the outer periphery of the articles30 in a position to be engaged by the projections 3I. Upon engagement of the roller 21 by the-projections 3i, the shaft or spindle 25 will be oscillated about its axis and actuate mechanism, described in the copending application, to disconnect the clutch previously referred to and positively lock the train of drive gears extending to the rollers I2 and I3. In this manner the articles 30 are all oriented with their projections 3| bearing a fixed and predetermined relationship to the mechanism. The articles 30 are held in the pockets defined by the rollers I2 and I3 during the orienting operation described and thereafter until the carrier I6 has rotated about the shaft I0 suificiently to bring the articles 30 to a delivery station where suitable mechanism (not shown) receives the articles and transfers them to another machine adapted to perform somefunction on the articles, such as afiixing a label or revenue stamp thereto.

It will be apparent that the above described orienting and transporting operation can result only if the articles 30 are held in firm frictional contact with the rollers I2 and I3 throughout the operation. The means for so holdin the article constitute the subject matter of the present invention.

The mechanism thus far described constitutes the subject matter of the copending application identified above, per se, and forms no part of the present invention. The spotting mechanism has been thus briefly described merely for the purpose of establishing a suitable environment for the elements constituting the present invention.

Referring again to Fig. 1, an endless conveyor 40 of any suitable design, is arranged to trans port the articles 30 to the vicinity of the spottin mechanism described. The arrangement is such that the conveyor 40 moves along a path substantially tangential to the path of movement of the pockets defined by the roller I2 and I3. Suitable releasin means (not shown) are provided to release and position the articles 30 on the conveyor 40 so that an article will arrive opposite the spotter mechanism in timed relation to the arrival of a pocket to receive it in position adjacent the conveyor. The arrangement and timing is preferably such that the center line of one of the pockets, the center of an article 36 and the axis of the shaft II] he in substantially a straight line extending generally normal to the line of travel of conveyor 40. At the time those conditions prevail the holding means of the present invention are actuated to engage the articles 30 and move them radially of the conveyor 40 into firm engagement with the rollers I2 and I3. With such an arrangement it is not necessary that the articles 30 be accurately positioned laterally of the conveyor 40. The only accurate control of the position of articles on the conveyor is in their proper spacing longitudinally thereof.

Fig. 2 illustrates the parts and the relative positions they occupy a;short time prior to arrival of the articles 39 in position to be moved into the pockets defined by the rollers l2 and I3. The conveyor 40 will be moving in thedirection indicated by the arrow thereon and the spotting mechanism will be moving in the direction indicated by the curved arrow, with the rollers I2 and I3 moving at substantially the same linear speed as the conveyor 40. Shortly after the position shown in Fig. 2, the holding mechanism of the present invention automatically moves to the position shown in Fig. 3 to hold the articles 36 against the rollers I2 and I3. r 1

The 'carrier I6, previously referred to, is.provided with a plurality of upstanding posts 45 fixed thereon and attached to the top of the posts 45 is an annual ring 46 concentric to the central shaft Ill and fixedly carried for unitaryrotation with the carrier I6. Between adjacent pockets of the mechanism the rin 46 is provided with sleeves 41 supporting aligned bushings 48 (see Fig. 4). A rock shaft 49'is journaled in the bushings 4B and has affixed to its lower end a radially slotted crank arm 50. A suitable collar 5| is pinned or otherwise afi'ixed to the rock shaft 49. andin conjunction with the hub portion of the crank 50 fixes the rock shaft 49 against axial movement in the bushings 48 while permitting free rotary movement therein.

The stub shaft 20 upon which the roller I3 is journaled is held in fixed position on the slide II by means of a cap member 52 which acts to clamp a shoulder of the shaft 20 against. the lowermost surface of the slide II. The cap 52 rotatably supports an arm 53, comprising a part of the spotter mechanism previously described. A bushing around the portion of the shaft 20 immediately below the slide I Iand the portion of aeeaseo the cap 52 adjacent the upper surface ofyithe slide ll constitute bearing surfaces'forrotatably supporting'a curvedarm 60. The aI'IlllBUfiSIJIIO- vided withears Bland 62, respectively 'above. and below the slide ll, andthe said ears are provided with aligned openings 63 and 64 by which the arm is rotatably supported on the bushing on the shaft and onthe cap 52. At its free end the curved arm is provided with ahollow boss having suitable anti-frictionbearing 66 positioned therein. The bearings 66 support-a shaft 61 for free rotation on a vertical axis and the shaft 61 has affixed' thereto a frictionroller '68. An enlarged portion 'l'll'of the shaft filiabuts the lowermost end of the boss 6.5 to prevent upward movement of the shaft 61 in the-bearings 66, and the collar 69 prevents downwardmovement thereof. As shown in Fig. 4 the roller'68 carried by the arm 60 lies substantially in'the plane of the article-engaging peripheraltportion of the roller [3, as does roller 12.

Referring now to Fig. 3, the arm fifiis provided with a laterally extending ear H carrying apin or the like 12 in fixed position thereon. 'Thepin 12 is preferably of a diameter only slightlyless than the width of the slot 13 in the crank arm 50 previously referred to. As clearlyshown in Fig, 3 the pin '52 is received Withinthe slot 13 of the crank arm 59. Itwi-ll be clear from the construction and arrangement just described that clockwise rocking of rock shaft 49 about its'axis will cause the crank 50 to oscillate and swing the arm 60 about the shaft 20 whereby'tdmove the roller 68 from the position shown in Fig. 2

to that shown in Fig. 3 where it is in articleengaging position.

The collar 5|, pinned to the shaft 49 previously described, is provided with a crank arm extension 15 (Figs. 2 and 3) preferably integral there with and which extension rotatably supports a cam engaging roller '16 at its free end. Fixed to the central shaft lfl is'a cam Tl arranged so that the high portions thereof lie in the path of movement of the rollers T6. The cam 11 may have an integral or otherwise rigidly affixed hub 18 (Fig. 1) provided withaxial slots 19. A split clamp is arranged .to embrace the split hub 18 and to compress the same about the. shaft :10 to effect rigid positioning of the cam 11. on the shaft. By loosening the clamp 80 the. cam. may

be angularly adjusted around the shaft [0 or may be moved axially thereof, within limits, to insure the peripheral portion of the cam engaging the rollers 16. As shown in Fig. l the cam 17 is provided with a high portion extending substantially from the position marked C to the position marked D and the periphery of the cam between the points C and D extends outwardly sufilciently'far to engage the rollers 16 during movement of the latter about the shaft ID, to swing the crank arms l5 outwardly and thereby rock shaft 49 and crank 50 to move the arm 60 and roller 68 outwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2. The cam TI will be so angularly adjusted about the shaft I!) that the roller 15 will engage the point C to retract roller 68 at the delivery station, which will be well in advance of the approach of the associated pocket to the conveyor 4!). Thus, the pocket defined by the rollers l2 and I3 is opened before that pocket reaches a position over the conveyor. The point D of the cam l7 will be so positioned that the roller l6 will hold the roller 68 in retracted position until such time as the associated pocket has passed the position indicated at A in Fig. 1

opposite'anarticle-30: on the" conveyor; A short distance: past the position indicated at A in Fig. 1 the roller [6 will pass off the high pointof the cam thus releasing the roller 68 and arm 60 to the action of'a spring to be later described, whereby the roller is moved into position to engage the article '30 and move the said articleinto the pocket between rollers I 2 and 1-3 and hold-the same therein. As the carrier l6 and the article 38 are moved around the shaft ID the roller 16 remains outwardly of the periphery of the low portion of the cam Tl until the article reaches the delivery station mentioned heretofore. In the specific embodiment illustrated the delivery station would be at position 0 of Fig. 1, where the roller 68' is moved away from the article, thus releasing the article to be transferred to a machine for performing a further process thereon. Clearly the cam 11 could be so configured that the point C would be at any desired position around the periphery of the shaft Hi. The particular configuration of the cam Tl will depend upon the relationship of the mechanism herein shown to the machine to which the articles are to'be delivered.

Adjacent the top of the shaft 49 and preferably immediately above the collar 5| an arm having a split end-86 and a boreBl is positioned with the said bore surrounding; the shaft 49. A suitable cap screw or the like 88 acts to clamp the arm 85 to the shaft 49. The arm 85 is provided with a lateral extension 89 adjacent'the shaft 49 and is further'provide'dwith a pair of threaded openings Eli! (see Fig. 4) in which a pair of cap screws 9 l are-threadedly engaged to clamp a steadying member or hook 92 to the arm-85. The steadying member or hookillis provided with a pair of enlarged openings 93 through which the cap screws 9! extend. Thus, it will be apparentthat the hook or steadying member 92' may be radially and angularly adjusted, within limits, on the arm 85. The free or terminal end of the member 92. isshaped in any suitable manner to lie closely adjacent the surface of the articles 30 when the latter are held in thepockets by the rollers 68. The particular size and shape ofv the articles 3B.'Wi11 determine the dimensions and configurations of the members 92. Since the members 92 and arms 85 are fixed to shafts 49 it will be :clear that rocking of the shafts 49 to retract rollers 68 from the articles being held thereby will also result in the steadying or holding members 92 being retracted to the position indicated in Fig. 2.

A plurality of tension springs 95 are provided, there being one spring for each of the rollers 68 on the mechanism. As best shown in Fig. 1 each of the springs 95 is attached at one end to the free end of the extension 89 of an arm 85 and at its other end is attached to an adjacent arm 85. As is also clearly evident from Fig. 1, the points of attachment of the springs 95 to the arms 85 and their extensions 89 lie on opposite sides of th shaft 49 whereby the tension in each of two adjacent springs is cumulative on the rock shafts 49 to urge them to c ockwise rotation when viewed from the top. The springs 95 constitute the means for moving the roller 68 inwardly to the position of Fig. 3 when rollers 16 pass the 7 point D of cam 11.

It is believed that the operation of the improvement herein disclosed will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art without further detailed explanation.

If desired a suitable article steadying block or the like I may be attached to the ring 46 immediately above each of the pockets formed by rollers I 2 and I3 to lie adjacent the surface of an article 30 to further steady the article when being rotated or transported by the mechanism. As is evident from Fig. 4 the rollers l2, l3 and 68 are positioned to lie relatively close to the conveyor 40 and adjacent the bottom of an article 30. In most cases, it is deemed advisable to provide such steadying means as the hook 92 and/or the block I00 to prevent accidental tipping or displacement of the articles 30.

Whereas a single specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein it is to be understood that many changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is to be limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an article handling mechanism, having a support, a member rotatable on said support, and a pair of rollers adjacent the periphery of said member defining a radially outwardly open pocket therebetween to rotatably receive and bodily move an article and means rotating one of said rollers on its axis, the improvement comprising; an arm pivoted to said member adjacent said pocket, the free end of said arm extending outwardly of said pocket and having an articleengaging idler roller thereon, and means actuated in timed relation to the rotation of said member to swing said arm and move said roller away from said pocket to release an article therein.

2. A mechanism as defined in claim 1, wherein said roller swings in a planesubstantially coextensive with the plane of rotation of the rollers the axis of one of said pocket-forming rollers.

5. A mechanism as defined in claim 1 including a cam fixed to said support and wherein said last-named means includes a cam-follower means on said member.

6. A mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein said last-named means comprises a lever pivoted to said member, a cam fixed to said support, one

portion of said lever engaging said cam and an- 7 other portion of said lever engaging said arm at a point spaced from its pivot.

7. In an article handling mechanism, having a support, a member rotatable on said support, and a pair of rollers adjacent the periphery of said member defining a pocket therebetween to rotatably receive and bodily move an article, the improvement comprising; an arm pivoted to said member adjacent said pocket, the free end of said arm extending outwardly of said pocket and having an article-engaging roller thereon, a rock shaft journalled on said member, a crank fixed to said rock shaft, said crank being engageable with an intermediate portion of said arm, a second crank fixed to said shaft, a cam fixed on said support, an end of second crank being adapted as a cam follower and being swingable into position to engage said cam, and spring means urging said rock shaft to swing said arm and roller toward said pocket and said end of said second crank toward said cam.

8. A mechanism as defined in claim 7 including an article steadying hook member angularly and radially adjustable on said rock shaft.

9. A mechanism as defined in claim 7 having a plurality of said pockets, rock shafts, second cranks and associated means spaced about said rotatable member and wherein said spring means comprises a tension spring connected to each of said second cranks on one side of said rock shaft and to a next adjacent second crank on the correspondingly opposite side of said rock shaft.

ROBERT A. CLARK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 652,677 Kellington June 26, 1900 1,336,028 Fentress Apr. 6, 1920 1,515,962 Miller Nov. 18, 1924 1,712,907 Stenhouse May 14, 1929 2,106,997 Fenner Feb. 1, 1938 2,112,119 Rowe Mar. 22, 1938 2,115,061 Darling Apr. 26, 1938 

